| Tourney Name: | 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification – AFC third round |
| Num Teams: | 18 |
| Confederations: | 1 |
| Prevseason: | 2022 |
| Nextseason: | 2030 |
The third round of AFC matches for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification will be played from 5 September 2024 to 10 June 2025.[1]
The eighteen teams that advanced from the second round (nine group winners and nine group runners-up) were divided into three groups of six teams. The teams will play against each other on a home-and-away basis. The top two teams of each group will qualify directly for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, while the third and fourth-placed teams will advance to the fourth round.[2]
From the teams that advance to the fourth round, the two teams with the best results in this round also receive the right to host the fourth round groups.[3]
The following teams finished first or second in their respective second round groups:[4]
The draw for the third round was held on 27 June 2024 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.[4]
The seeding for the draw was based on the FIFA Men's World Rankings on 20 June 2024 (shown in parentheses below).[5]
Each group contains one team from each of the six pots. The draw started with Pot 6 and concluded with Pot 1, with each team drawn being placed in the corresponding position sequentially in Group A, then B, then C.[6]
The competition schedule is expected to be as follows:[7]
| Matchday | Date | Matches | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Matchday 1 | 5 September 2024 | 1 v 5, 2 v 4, 3 v 6 | |
| Matchday 2 | 10 September 2024 | 4 v 1, 5 v 3, 6 v 2 | |
| Matchday 3 | 10 October 2024 | 2 v 5, 3 v 1, 4 v 6 | |
| Matchday 4 | 15 October 2024 | 1 v 2, 3 v 4, 5 v 6 | |
| Matchday 5 | 14 November 2024 | 2 v 3, 4 v 5, 6 v 1 | |
| Matchday 6 | 19 November 2024 | 5 v 1, 4 v 2, 6 v 3 | |
| Matchday 7 | 20 March 2025 | 1 v 4, 3 v 5, 2 v 6 | |
| Matchday 8 | 25 March 2025 | 5 v 2, 1 v 3, 6 v 4, | |
| Matchday 9 | 5 June 2025 | 2 v 1, 4 v 3, 6 v 5 | |
| Matchday 10 | 10 June 2025 | 3 v 2, 5 v 4, 1 v 6 |
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